Our February book is the rollicking classic Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut... an easy read, a fun read, with an interesting take on religion and a whole lot of Cold War-era nihilism. Vonnegut used to be considered a science fiction writer, but it turns out he was merely using his imagination to express greater truths. Hmm, I guess Asimov and Heinlein.... and many of the so-called sci-fi guys did the same.
- The official website
- Here's a lovely essay on Vonnegut in Salon
- And a study guide on Cat's Cradle, I think from Kansas State U.
- Here is the online SparkNotes for it, but I couldn't get it to work
- This is Google's Vonnegut links page from its directory
- Yet this one is s'posed to be the most best links
- NY Times original review of Cat's Cradle by Terry Southern
- Vonnegut in the Times
- The Chrono-Synclastic Infundibulum was the name of the Vonnegut webring , but I think it may have disappeared into itself.
- Oh, yes, and the truth about Kilgore Trout
For March, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, a very popular and often-taught novel.
For April 15, The Human Stain by Philip Roth. I didn't finish the book before I saw the movie (terrific, btw), so looking forward to spending more time with one of my favorite authors.
